Car-roof.



H. A.- GHRISTY.

. GAB ROOF.

' APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 2,1911.

Patented 0ct.17-,1911.

SBHEETS-SHBET 1:

H. A. GHRISTY.

CAR ROOF. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2, 1911.

Patented Oct. 17, 1911.

11. A, GHRISTY. GAB. ROOF,

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE2,191 1.

Patented 001.17, 1911. I

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

HENRY A. GIIRIST'Y, OF KENILWOR'IH, ILLINOIS;

- can-Boer.

To all whom it may concern: I

Begit known that I, HENRY A. Crrn srr, a citizen 'of the United States,residing at Kenilworth, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Roofs, of whichthe followin'g is a specification.

The leading purpose and object of this invention is the construction ofa car roof composed of sheet-metal plates in such a 'manner that thedistortion or twisting of the car-body, due to; the strains it receivesin transit or due to the uneven'loading of the car, will not injure nortear the roofcoveringin other words, the main purpose of theinvention'is the provision of a carroof structure which cansatisfactorily withstand all usages or service without danger of causingleakage, the structure'of the roof beingsuch that it will at all timesbe rainweatherand wind-proof. To reach this re sult I do not rigidly andfixedly attach the roof-plates to the car-roof frame, butassociate theparts together in such a manner that the completed roof is what may betermed flexible or yielding Tthat is, the parts of the roof structurecan give sufliciently or yield to the various strains without danger ofrupture' A roof embodying the structural features andcharacteristics ofthis invention is very easily repaired, due to the facility be removedand replaced, which, of course,-

-renders the assembling of the parts in the first instance economicalandfree from difficulty or the employment of any great amount of labor.

In the accompanying" drawings I have illustrated a preferred anddesirable embodiment of the invention in order that those skilled inthis art may have a full and complete comprehension of what theinvention covers. In the various views of these drawin'gs like referencecharacters refer to the same part throughout,

In the drawings-I igure 1 isa fragmentary perspective view of a portionof a carroof structure incorporating my invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section through the roof of the car; Fig. 3 is alongitudinalsection on the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a fragmentaryside elevation of the car-roof structure, certain of the parts beingbroken away Fig. '5 is a longitudinal section on the line I 5-5 of'Fig.2; Fig. 6 is a perspective View of one of the carlines; Fig. 7 is aperspective car just inside of the with which the roof-plates'may' ofits web 20 a support I extended flanges Patented Oct. 17, 191i.

View of the straps which attach the edges of the roof-plates to thesides of the car-body;

served that each carline 20 is of channel I shape, in cross-sect1on,

consisting of a web 21 having along its .oppositelongitudinal edges apair of upstanding-stiffening flanges 22, 22, the whole carline beingbent at the center to provide the proper inclination or slope to the twosides of the roof. At each end each carline has its flanges 22 cut awayor omitted, the web being bent down at these points to provideattachment-plates or ears 23, 23. As is clearly indicated, thesecal-lines are applied to the .tops of the car-' body side walls 24, withthe ears or attachment sections 23 disposed outside of and against theouter face of the side walls. As I have indicated vin the variousfigures, one of these carlines is used at each end of the end wall 25,so that one of the upwardly-extended flanges 22 rests against the innerface of such.end

wall. At its apex each of these carlines has resting upon it and securedto the top face 26 composed of two channel sections 27 and 28, whosewebs 29 and 30 areriveted together in contact, as shown in Fig. 10, thelower flanges 31 and 32 of the support being inclined to conform to theinclination of the two sides of the carline proper, while the upperoppositelyof the same two channel sections are disposed in a singlehorizontal plane. ploy a cap-strip 33 of inverted channel construction-that is, its web rests directly upon and is secured to the topflanges of the various supp'orts26, while 1ts marginal flanges extenddownwardly, as is clearly in- Fastened to these supports 26 I sin--dicated in Fig. 1. On top of the cap-strip I i use cross-supports 34, tothe tops of which are secured, in any approved manner, the

longitudinal running-boards 35, which, as

arranged side by side, are of considerabli greater width thanthecap-strip beneat them. If preferred, these running-boards may be madein comparatively short secremoval and appllcations to facilitate thetion of the metal roof-plates, hereinafter described. Each 0t thesesheet metnl root'- plates consists of it main body 36 (Fig. 8) havingalong its upper edge av marginal upwardly-extended flange 37, the platehaving also at its lower edge a, downward-turned flange 38, the extremeedge of which bent up at 89 to provide at marginal portion of doublethickness. Along each of its two sides the plate 36 has itdownWard-turned flange 40, the lower end of which is bent in- Wardly etll in contact with and riveted to the flange 38. These variousroof-plates are applied to the roof, while the outer running-boards areremoved, permitting the inclination of the roof-plates suiiicicntly toenable the operator to introduce the flange 37 beneath. thecorresponding side flange of the longitudinal cup=pletes 33 theroof-plate being then swung downwurdlv 1 into operative relation withthe cal-lines, with its flanges L0 residing in the troughs of thecerlines and disposed slightly away from the up-turned flanges of suchcerline this construction permitting movement of the car-frame androof-plates relatively to one another Without tearing or rupturing suchplates. Above each half of the carline is employed 5}, board or similarmember 42, Which rests upon the adjacent portions of two of theroot-plates. Each of these boards is accommodated within one of theairline-caps 43, each of the letter at its lower end having av dependingcar 44, dapted to overlie the adjacent parts of the llenges 38 of twoadjacent plates, and also to overlie the ea" 23 oi the czu'line in connetion with which the cztpstrip is used. The upper end of the cap -23 midthe board 1 -12 which it houses are received beneath the Henge oi thelongitudinal (rep-strip 33, the latter being notched at for thispurpose.

Extended along the top portion of each side Wall of the car is nsectional strap com posed of a plurality of parts {l-(l, ouch of :moiulof the root-plate.

simightening which has one end l? oilset to receive the unbcnt end oithe next adjacent stmp sccl tion. These burs are'upertiu'ed at 43 inaiiinement with-the holes l9 and ot the cal-line mid cap-strip .urs, andthrough these registering holes 1 employ belt; 51, which extend throughthe side \\':ill of the our and. bold t getlicr the various puris oi theroot ctmstiuction. ".lhe straps ll as will be n ticed, are positioned jut above the scum. or reinforced portion Phi ol the v:i2'ious flanges 38ol the cur-root plates.

At ouch end i the cuuboi, i use a very narrow 1o 7 plate which in otherrcspccts is suoshmtiull lil o the broader and more subsluuiiui plaicelormiiu; the root covering". "lluouter mo n-ill lluugo 51$ oi the plate52 is disposed ii ol il:-iilo of mul ull's again t the outer time oi theend \vuil "iii, all us is clearly shown in i i, Z and 5. l

it should be nppzirent from this description and illustration that ouchoi? the roofplutcs has 21 loose connection with the V71- riouscal-lines, and is loosely received beneath the (up-strip 233, so that asthe cz1rbody yields or dcllects or becomes distorted, or the side wallsbulge outnnrdly, these plates camgive or yield relatively to the rooflrnme Without their becoming torn or otherwise injured. Furtheri'noi'oany plate may be readily removed and replaced by merely removing one ormore of the straps 46, un-

; screwing the nuts from two of the bolts 51,

taking oil two of the cap-strips and boards :42, end then turningupvardly and drawing outwardly the root-plate in such a manner as tofree the flange 37 from the llange cf the cup-strip 33-}, it beingassumed that one of the running-bozirds or it sectioifof the same hasbeen taken oil to permit such re- Just as easily a new or repairedroot-plate can be put back into place. plates, :m'liues and cam-stripsire secured rigidly only to the side walls of the car, and that thecur-body does not possess what might be termed the usual ridge-pole,although such a longitudiinil strengthening member may be employed iffound to be (le sirzible or necessary in reality the longitu dinulcentrally disposed cnpstrip 33 acts somewhat as aridgepole and operatesto maintain the carlines properly spaced apart.

Preferably the wooden or other fillers l2 ire of sutiicient heig t toprevent the longitudinal. depending llnngcs of the cu rstrips fromcontacting with the top surfaces of the roof-plates. Owing to thisconstruction, there is no wear or ciiltting of the cup-strips on theroot-plates. in other words, there is no \stfi'll'lllg of metal onmetal. Furthermore the supports 26 at the tops of the carlincs assist inpreventing the curlincs from out thut is, assist in preventing the rootfrom being displaced or dis tor-ted.

To those skilled in the art various structur=.l changes will occur withrespect tothe construction herein set forth in detail which will fallwithin the scope and. breidth oi? the appended claims because myinvention not limited and restricted to the precise uml exact structuralfeatures herein illus- Erui'cd and described bu; many minor merluiniczil changes uuiy be made (herein without departing from theessence ol the invention uud without sacrificing any substantialbeuclils.

' What I cbiim is:

l. in a car-body construction, the combinuiiou of cur-body side walls. aroot-Frame buying cluinuel czu'lines \vitli upstanding Hung-"cs,zuul'roolF-plules having marginal dcpr-udmg liuuges uccmnmoduted in thetroughs oi": and resting upon the webs of said lt. should be clear thatthe rootor ad pending flanges cnannel carlines, the flanges of thelatter being out of contact with the under surfaces ofthe roof-plates,said roof-plate flanges constituting the sole. support of the roofplateson the carlines, substantially as described.

2. In a car-body construction, the combination of car-body side walls, acar roofframe having-channel carlines secured to the side Walls of thecar-body, said carlines having upstanding flanges, roof-plates havingdepending flanges accommodated in the troughs of said channel carlinesand resting on the webs of such cal-lines to hold the roofplates abovethe flanges of said carlines, and cap strips over said carlines, saidroof-plate flanges constituting the sole support ofthe roof-plates onthe carlines, substantially as described. y

3. In a car-body construction, the 00111- bination of car-body'sidewalls, a car-roof having channel carlines with upstanding marginalflanges, and l'0Of-Pl21l3S having deaccommodated in the troughs ofsaidchannel carlines, the flanges of the car-lines and roof-plates beingspaced apart from one another to give flexibility to the roof structure,said roof-plate flanges resting upon the webs of the channel carlinesand being of such width as to maintain the roof-plates out of contactwith the edges of the carline flanges, substantially as described. I

at. In a car-body construction, the combination of car-body side walls,cambered channel carlines extending from side wall to side Wall andhaving at their opposite ends depending ears fixedly secured to saidside Walls, said carlines' having upstanding longitudinal marginalflanges, a support fastened to each of said carlines at its apex, alongitudinal centrally disposed cap-strip secured to said supports andhaving depending longitudinal marginal flanges, metal roof-plates havingdepending flanges acco1n niodated in the troughs of said channelcarlines, the lower edges of said roof-plate flanges resting upon thewebs of said carlines to support the roof-plates above the top edges ofthe carline flanges, each of said roof-plates having along its inneredge an upwardly extending flange disposed beneath said longitudinalcap-strip and spaced in-' .wardly away from the depending flange of ithe latter, and carline caps located above said cal-lines and fixedly,secured only to the car-body side walls, substantially as described.

HENRY A. CHRISTY. Witnesses:

HENRY M. HUXLEY, LENA E. HAUNEN.

